Nasi Uduk, Indonesia’s answer to Nasi Lemak
KUALA LUMPUR: ‘Nasi lemak’, a favourite dish of Malaysians, has such a wide appeal that even fast-food chains feature it in their menus.
Even its Indonesian close cousin, ‘nasi uduk’ was available at the McDonald’s outlets over there for a limited period.
Not only are the two dishes almost similar to each other, they are also very popular among the people.
Nasi uduk has its origins in Jakarta itself and was the traditional food of the Betawi ethnic community who are natives of this city. Nasi uduk is, of course, now available all over Indonesia.
Incidentally, nasi lemak is popular on the east coast of Sumatra where Malay communities live. Spices make a difference The main similarity between nasi lemak and nasi uduk is that the rice is cooked in coconut milk or ‘santan’. The main difference between the two is the ingredients that are added to the rice while it is being cooked in a rice cooker or in a pot.
The rice for nasi lemak has pandan leaves, a pinch of salt and a few slices of ginger added to it, whereas nasi uduk’s rice component has bay leaf, pandan, lemongrass, lime leaves and a pinch of sugar and salt added to it.
For the rice to taste better, it is advisable to stir all the ingredients into the rice when it is half cooked. This tip is applicable to both nasi lemak and nasi uduk.
Once the rice is cooked, it produces a fragrant aroma that is strong enough to whet the taste buds. This writer, understandably, is partial to nasi uduk as bay leaf, pandan, lemongrass and lime leaf-infused rice exude an unbeatable aroma. In fact, wrapping the rice in a banana leaf allows its fragrance to last longer. Side dishes Nasi lemak or nasi uduk is, of course, incomplete without a spicy sambal on the side.
Nasi uduk comes with either a spicy peanut sauce or chili-based sambal and is served with side dishes like a fried egg, fried chicken, sliced cucumber and ‘tempeh’ (deep-fried fermented soybeans), with some fried onions sprinkled on top of the rice. Some new additions to side dishes served with nasi uduk include fried tofu and fried vermicelli.
Besides the standard spicy sambal, hard-boiled egg, fried anchovies, fried peanuts and sliced cucumber that come with nasi lemak, the dish also goes well with prawn sambal and chicken or beef rendang.
Malaysians and Indonesians enjoy eating nasi lemak or nasi uduk for breakfast, lunch or dinner and wash it down with hot tea. In Indonesia, nasi uduk is even served at some wedding receptions.
Years ago, nasi uduk wrapped in banana leaves was only sold at the markets in Jakarta. Eventually, someone set up a nasi uduk stall in Kebon Kacang, Jakarta, and it remains open till today.
In Jakarta, there are also hawkers who sell nasi uduk on their food carts which they push from street to street. A packet of nasi uduk with a piece of fried chicken, fried egg and tempeh costs about 15,000 rupiahs (about RM4).